Memories! Feb 16 1963

Today is the anniversary of Handsome Partner's and my wedding day!  No, we were not trying for a Valentine wedding just coping for months with the standoffs between the Catholic situation and the city registrar, and had to take the first date, and exact time, the registrar would attend the church!  

Since Catholic priests in England can religiously but not legally marry couples, the registrar has to be present to perform the legal part. The Catholic Church being outlawed since the Reformation. But religious people can't just have the registrar marry them, since they need the religious wedding.  So, registrars hating to come out and about with their little briefcases, you have to keep all your arrangements flexible (!) until you can get all the parties together. Religious ceremony in the Church, then you all troop into the sacristy to get the legal one done and all the signatures.


This is not such an issue in a smaller town, where you probably all know each other anyway and there are more friendly relations, and the distances are not so great. But in a big city, which is where we were, it's fraught!  So when he finally announced that he would attend for twenty minutes, no more, from 3.20 p.m. to 3.40 p.m. on Feb 16, we just took it.  Very little advance notice. 

Budget wedding, starting as we meant to go on, with pix in black and white, donated by photographer friend, one set, wedding cake made and iced by my best friend's mom, and sent across England in the passenger seat of her friend's truck, longhaul truck driver, flowers, very few available, terrible storms that year, flowers all stuck in the Scilly Isles unable to be imported, but anyway donated by Student Union staff.  We had our reception there, and they were all excited to be catering a wedding!  Dress borrowed from a work friend of mine, and altered to fit, plus veil.  Thirty guests, all of whom were in the one group pic!  

The priest who married us had been forbidden by his boss the parish priest to preach a sermon, since there was a danger that this mixed marriage, Handsome Partner a different religion, might look serious! Dear Father Clinch, a Jesuit, told us he was ignoring that totally and preached a lovely little sermon about how any group coming together in God's name was welcome and a celebration. Most of our friends not Catholic, and they were quite impressed and a bit weepy about how nice this all was.  And it was fun. 

Handsome Partner's been gone for almost six years now, and it was really interesting to find these old pix, and see him young and with flaming red hair! Not the white haired old guy current friends knew. Well, I guess we both looked a bit younger then.

DIY, showing our true colors even then....So much has happened in both our lives, many adventures, some I'm glad only happened once, some would be nice to have again.That suit was in use for many many years, as a special suit, interviews, weddings, etc!  Scientists not being snappy dressers. 

Then this week, best Valentine evah arrived in the mail from honorary granddaughter Heather, which you see here. Lovely double origami, one heart on another.  Now with my other Asian art items where I can see it all the time, and will love forever.